What is search intent?
Search intent is a term used to describe the purpose of a person’s online search. This is the whole reason Google was created as it states in its mission statement “Our mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”.
Search intent is based off what a user wants to search: would they want to learn something or buy something. Knowing your audience intent will make sure you rank higher on Google and gain more traffic.
There are 4 types of search intent: navigational, informational, transactional and commercial.
The four types of search intent
Navigational search intent
Navigational search intentHave you ever searched for a website even though you know its address? I have, from YouTube all the way to Facebook, it’s just easier to search it, right? These kinds of searches are Navigational, meaning they lead to a particular website that a user is looking for. Navigational rank is only beneficial for organic traffic.
Informational search intent
The internet is full of information, which makes sense why most searches today are informational. Here are some interesting Google search statistics that you might find interesting.
Some examples of informational intent searches could be searching for the weather, history, or a question about a certain topic.
Transactional search intent
A transactional search query is a query that indicates an intent to complete a transaction, such as making a purchase.
These searches are people that are looking to make a purchase. With so many online stores to buy a product from, it makes sense why a user would search online for a product to buy.
Google has implemented a shopping compare element when searching up products that will show you how much it is and where to buy it from.
Commercial search intent
Commercial intent is similar to the transactional intent but these users are looking to research and compare products or brands. Some search examples like, “what phone to buy 2020”, or “the best TV to buy 2020”, they have a transactional intent but are looking for more research to make their final decision.
How to optimise your page for search intent
The best way to optimise is to research and make a list of keywords that you want to use and tools like Google trends and Ubersuggest to see the analytics of those keywords.
Use Google search as part of your research, as it can show you what common phrases users search for.
A good practice is to create a client persona and dive deep into who your audience is. This can help you decide what you can use to entice your users, finding pain points and common factors that your audience may have.
Page layout is also important if you are using a landing page to target a specific audience. It is important to give the right information that your users are looking for. An example could be looking for a specific product to buy, you may want to include buy as part of your keyword so that it targets the right searches.
Make sure you don’t scare your audience away with popups or other non-related marketing forms that they aren’t looking for.
Knowing your audience search intent makes it easier to know what keyword intent you need to use. This way people will find what they are looking for when they are asking a question or looking for a product to buy.
Some keywords you can add on:
- How to
- Buy
- Difference between
- What is
- Discount(s)
- Deals
- Review
- Affordable
- Cheapest
- Best
Some of these words will better fit some more than others, it all depends on what the search intent entails and having your content tailor to the audience.
Are You Optimized for Search Intent?
In conclusion, search intent is just as important as other SEO practices. Researching your audience search intent could make your business boom.
Make sure your post or page is informational, when people are searching for information. But lead people to your sales pages if they are looking to buy one of your products or services.
If you want to rank long-term, make it your mission to give searchers what they want and optimise your page(s) to convert them into leads. Subsequently, creating tailor-made content will highly benefit your website and your intended audience.
